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[qwertyuiopas]

You forget that mythbusters did their test with limited budget and construction time, based off a historical rumor.

Now, a fortress with years and unlimited materials, creating a MASSIVE shined funnel over a 20x20 area that focuses it all into a shaft down through a final lens into the forge, that will have more power to it.

Despite worse technology, the dwarves can compensate with a massive scale. So what if it is impossible to make a mobile parabolic mirror ignite a ship?

Make a nonmobile construction of hundreds of mirrors that focuses it through a lens, designed to be most effective at ~15 minutes of the day(though it can work the temperature up throughout the day as it approaches the optimal point) COULD WORK.

Plus, you are assuming that the sun in DF is equal strength to the one in real life, whereas in DF it is an unknown factor.


Yes, solar powered forges would be impractical and limited, and require a massive megaproject, but...

• impractical
• limited
• multi-year
• massive
• likely failure

That same checklist applies to DEFINES every single MEGAPROJECT, but that doesn't stop players from making them, even just as a show of power and an unstoppable will to outdo common sense.

[LegoLord]

Actually, let me check just how large a mirror it would take.  Pretty sure it's a lot bigger than that.

[lucusLoC]

a solar furnace is workable, as long as the target does not move. i myself have made a solar furnace that could melt lead (or rather, melt a bead off a small hunk lead, but it was molten lead none the less). hotter is harder, but not impossible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_furnace

[LegoLord]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_mirror

According to both that and your article, it is merely said that such an array was made.  And not only mythbusters busted it; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had a group working on that in 2005.  They concluded that it would be sufficient to ignite a stationary piece of wood, but not a moving ship (according to your article).  This means it simply would not work as a weapon.

In addition, a small bead of lead is hardly sufficient for a metal working industry.  It would take a much larger array assembled of many copies of your little furnace angled differently to cover the entire surface of that one small chunk of lead.  Considering the higher melting points of other metals like iron and steel, and that there would be much larger samples used for forging weapons, armor, and furniture,  it would take a large amount of resources to get just one forge; an amount that realistically, our dwarves should not be capable of accumulating.

[lucusLoC]

It would probably be possible, especialy given the nature of a megaproject. The problem i have with it is implementing the phisics required in game. Lighting is going to be hard enough without mirrors and lenses (especialy on a large scale where they cannot really be abstracted)

I just do not think it is a good use of time. Magma, wood, coal, peat, cow chips etc. are all good sourses of fule. Those are what toady should spend his time on.

[Grax]

How about a frozen tundra with dire polar bears roaming beyond your walls? Trading isn't always possible, you know.

Tower-caps, maybe?

I wonder why did this question arise?
Do we have an ability to choose the place carefully, or do not?
If you choose the glacier - that's your own mind and way. Normal dwarf will choose the magma pipe.

[lucusLoC]

i'm telling ya'll: cow chips. burn 'em, cook 'em, brew 'em. what not to like?

well maybe the last two, but the first one works like a charm.

. . .a very smelly charm.


mmmmmm, delicious.

[Vieto]

How about a frozen tundra with dire polar bears roaming beyond your walls? Trading isn't always possible, you know.

Tower-caps, maybe?

I wonder why did this question arise?
Do we have an ability to choose the place carefully, or do not?
If you choose the glacier - that's your own mind and way. Normal dwarf will choose the magma pipe.

I think the true purpose of this thread is to allow more variety and alternative solutions. If there was only one way to do something, then things get boring/repetitive after a while. One of the great things about Dwarf Fortress is its variety. There are a myrad of ways to play the game, and do different things. I understand that magma is what normal dwarves use; but the point is it isn't the only way. Heck, why have coal? Why have Bronze? Normal Dwarves use Steel/Adamantium. Why have Salt-water + desalination? Normal dwarves use fresh-water brooks. See what I'm getting at?

I, for one, like my Arctic Solar Cannon Forge. I'll make my own magma!

[Rowanas]

Actually, arctic solar stuff would work better, because the air is crisper and the light is less interrupted. With tress, mountains etc you get a lot of interference, not so much light coming down...

[Pilsu]

Nothing short of wood charcoal burns hot enough to melt iron or steel. Ignoring how silly magma forges are to begin with, they shouldn't be able to melt iron ore. You need the carbon

Frankly, I don't think there's a single good, workable idea in this whole thread.

[Silverionmox]

Nothing short of wood charcoal burns hot enough to melt iron or steel. Ignoring how silly magma forges are to begin with, they shouldn't be able to melt iron ore. You need the carbon

Frankly, I don't think there's a single good, workable idea in this whole thread.

For smithing, there probably is none. We'll still need heating for other applications sooner or later, and then we can preserve precious charcoal and coal for metalworking.

[Pilsu]

Yes, well, burning trash should go without a special mention I think

Melting tin items with miscellaneous trash would also work. Not entirely sure whether the ore separates as easily

[Rakonas]

How about a frozen tundra with dire polar bears roaming beyond your walls? Trading isn't always possible, you know.

Tower-caps, maybe?

I wonder why did this question arise?
Do we have an ability to choose the place carefully, or do not?
If you choose the glacier - that's your own mind and way. Normal dwarf will choose the magma pipe.

I think the true purpose of this thread is to allow more variety and alternative solutions. If there was only one way to do something, then things get boring/repetitive after a while. One of the great things about Dwarf Fortress is its variety. There are a myrad of ways to play the game, and do different things. I understand that magma is what normal dwarves use; but the point is it isn't the only way. Heck, why have coal? Why have Bronze? Normal Dwarves use Steel/Adamantium. Why have Salt-water + desalination? Normal dwarves use fresh-water brooks. See what I'm getting at?

I, for one, like my Arctic Solar Cannon Forge. I'll make my own magma!

Precisely, geographic limitations shouldn't be so limiting, more alternative energy=more variety in embark locations. The game is already unrealistic, (How does a magma forge even melt something that has a melting point of 25000F? I'm pretty sure the magma and the material to make it would boil by then.) so why can't we have more variety with inefficient and unrealistic energy sources? Dragon-fire, bio-fuels, steam, basic electricity, etc.

[Rowanas]

Never a truer word spoken.

[Pilsu]

so why can't we have more variety with inefficient and unrealistic energy sources? Dragon-fire, bio-fuels, steam, basic electricity, etc.

Yeah, one thing doesn't make sense so let's throw all sense and realism into the winds. Brilliant.

If you personally don't care about realism, mod dwarven pubic hair as a fuel. Or better yet, just remove the fuel. Might as well if you're melting steel with hay. It just isn't worth the development time, at least for now. Adding moddable steam and whatnot would probably make a decent bloat once the actual game is finished